Deep within the sprawling Soul Continent lay the country of Wuhan, a land of countless kingdoms and powerful warriors.
Among them stood a man whose name commanded respect throughout the entire country.
Musashi Miyamoto, the legendary Golden Katana.
Wielding his renowned blade, Gladius, Musashi led the Shinras, one of the most powerful intelligence and security forces on the continent.
Recognizing the danger posed by conflicts between kingdoms, he had ordered the creation of an emergency summoning system for Special Darkside Knights. Wuhan's finest Mages spent months developing the technology, eventually embedding a summoning tool inside the badge of every Special Darkside Knight.
Once activated, the tool would transmit a signal directly to the Shinra capital, summoning an elite force capable of responding to threats anywhere in Wuhan.
And so, the Reinforcement was established.
Musashi selected five strong Shinras from the capital to form this special unit. Their primary responsibility was to intervene whenever tensions between kingdoms threatened to escalate into war.
For years, however, the system remained unused. No conflict had ever become serious enough to require their intervention.
Until today, when Exca decided to summon them for his own interests.
Inside his castle, Exca stared at the shattered remains of his Special Darkside Knight badge.
Its fragments lay scattered across the polished floor, their faint glow gradually fading.
This was the first time in Wuhan's history that anyone had activated the emergency summoning system.
Now, all he could do was wait.
One minute passed.
Then another.
Nothing happened.
Exca's expression twisted with frustration. His breathing grew heavier as he continued staring at the broken badge.
"Damn it... Damn it!"
He kicked a nearby chair, sending it crashing against the wall.
What's the point of this useless piece of shit? I put too much faith in that damn Golden Katana.
With a frustrated groan, he dropped onto the floor and leaned against the leg of his massive chair.
If they don't arrive soon, it'll be too late.
His thoughts returned to the battlefield. Sasaki was struggling against Lucy, and Exca could no longer afford to waste time waiting for help that might never come.
Then...
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Someone began pounding on the meeting room door.
Exca immediately lifted his head. A sly smile spread across his face.
"Finally..."
He withdrew the mind-control spell sustaining his connection to Sasaki, allowing the Renshi circle beneath his feet to fade.
"Come in, you morons. Stop banging on the door like idiots."
He pushed himself up and walked toward the massive black chair at the center of the room.
Several equally grand seats surrounded it, arranged in a circle for his Pro Darkside Knights. Intricate furniture, foreign ornaments, and ancient relics decorated the hall, while the faint scent of incense lingered in the air.
Exca was just about to sit when the heavy door creaked open.
A Shinra wearing a brown cape hurried inside.
Exca's smile immediately vanished.
He slammed his palm against the long table.
"What the hell are you doing here? Did you receive any message saying I summoned you?"
The Shinra flinched and quickly raised his hands.
"N-No, sir. I came to inform you that the Pro Darkside Knights have gathered outside to see you. Shinras across the kingdoms are also on high alert. They're preparing for possible conflict because overwhelming Renshical pressure has been detected twice within a short period."
Exca narrowed his eyes.
"So? Why are you telling me this? Get out, and tell the Pro Darkside Knights to wait for my orders."
"Y-Yes, sir."
The Shinra bowed before hurrying out and closing the door behind him.
Exca remained motionless for several seconds.
Then his temper finally snapped.
"DAMN ALL OF YOU..."
He grabbed the enormous table with both hands and hurled it toward the door.
But before it could crash into the wall, the table suddenly stopped in midair.
"Hey, hey. Don't go destroying your own furniture. You'll only make a mess."
Exca froze.
Two men dressed in pristine white uniforms stood on either side of him. Neither appeared particularly concerned by the flying table.
More importantly, Exca hadn't sensed their arrival.
There had been no detectable Renshical pressure, no warning from his instincts, and no sound of approaching footsteps.
I didn't sense them at all.
His gaze sharpened.
The only surge I felt was when I activated the summoning tool. So these are the Reinforcement... Their reputation isn't just for show.
The table slowly descended until its legs settled against the floor.
A third man stepped out from behind it.
He stood nearly seven feet tall, his muscular frame stretching the white fabric of his uniform. Unlike his companions, he made no effort to hide his displeasure.
"We received a report from one of your Shinras about the overwhelming Renshical pressure detected across the kingdoms. Twice within such a short period, and yet you're here throwing furniture around."
His eyes settled on Exca.
"Tell me, Special Darkside Knight. What's more important to you than the people under your protection?"
Exca returned to his chair and sat down, his expression growing cold.
"I don't have time for this. There's a threat to this country that I need to eliminate."
"You're too naïve, brat."
The man on Exca's left disappeared in a flash of Switch Mode and reappeared in one of the empty seats.
"The people you're supposedly protecting are just as worried about you. So why are you hiding from your own Pro Darkside Knights?"
The other two men took their seats as well, using Switch Mode.
Exca leaned back, studying the three of them.
He had summoned them because he needed their strength. Yet, judging by the way they looked at him, it was clear they weren't going to follow his orders without question.
---
BACK AT THE BORDER OF SUNFLOWER AND EMINENCE
Lucy landed gracefully, her wings spreading behind her as her feet touched the ground.
The forest stretched across the border, its trees marked by broken branches and the deep scars left in the earth by their earlier exchange.
Several meters away stood Sasaki.
The wound Lucy had inflicted on him had completely healed. He rolled his shoulders, testing his movements, then rested his enormous reddish sword against one shoulder.
His grin hadn't changed.
Lucy watched him carefully.
We're far enough away from my student now. I don't have to worry about holding back.
Her wings shimmered as she straightened, keeping them fully extended behind her.
Sasaki's grin widened.
"Don't blame me when I cut those chicken wings off."
He vanished with Switch Mode.
The air shifted behind Lucy.
Sasaki reappeared at her back, his enormous sword already sweeping toward her wings. The blade tore through the air with enough force to send leaves and dust scattering across the ground.
Lucy sensed the attack and twisted her body, pulling one wing out of its path while turning her sword toward his incoming strike.
CLANG!
Their weapons collided just as Sasaki's blade passed dangerously close to her feathers.
The impact sent a shockwave through the clearing.
Lucy slid backward several meters, her boots carving lines through the dirt. Sasaki's sword pressed against hers, forcing her to brace herself.
He leaned forward, attempting to overpower her with the greater reach and weight of his weapon.
Lucy held her ground for a moment before abruptly shifting her blade sideways.
Sasaki's sword slipped past her guard.
His momentum carried him forward, exposing his side. Lucy immediately stepped in, preparing to counterattack.
But Sasaki reacted quickly, activating Switch Mode before she could land a strike.
He reappeared several meters away, his sword raised as he studied her.
Lucy's expression remained calm, but her eyes narrowed.
He's using Switch Mode to attack my blind spots while forcing me to protect my wings. If I keep reacting to every strike, he'll eventually find an opening.
Sasaki rolled his neck, clearly pleased with himself.
"What's wrong? You were talking pretty confidently a moment ago."
Lucy adjusted her grip on her sword.
"Are you finished talking, brat?"
Her wings spread wider.
"Because I'm getting tired of listening to you."
Sasaki laughed and lowered his stance.
"Good. Let's see how long you can keep that attitude."
Red Renshi gathered around his body, and tiny tornadoes began forming beneath his feet.
Lucy responded by allowing her white Renshi to flow along the length of her blade.
Neither moved.
For a brief moment, they simply watched each other, waiting for the slightest change in posture that might reveal their opponent's next move.
Then Sasaki disappeared again.
This time, Lucy didn't turn to follow him.
She waited until she sensed the shift in the air behind her before moving.